Two in a row!

"I can feel it coming in the air tonight." These are the words of Phil Collins, but they describe the feeling at Citi the last two days. There's something there. I can't actually put a word to it, but if I had to, I'd call it "hope". The fans are happy, the conversation seems to be that "we've turned the corner. We know it may be a while yet, but we feel good about being Mets fans. We're headed in the right direction." It's refreshing after the last few years. Will that feeling be there when hard times hit this year, as they do for every team? That remains to be seen. But I had yet another great day at Citi yesterday.

First, my outstanding ticket rep, Sam, came by to visit. She wanted to be sure that I'm happy with my new seats (Sec. 136, row 10). She doesn't have to do that. It's part of the Mets new effort to reach out to the fans and emphasize customer service. This, coupled with all the Twitter accounts, makes the team feel more accessible to the fans. It's important, and they're getting the message. Next, Sam took us on a tour of the new Party Deck, while the game was in progress. WOW!!! You feel like you should be throwing up warmup tosses with J. Bay. I strongly recommend looking into sitting there for a game this year. Finally, there was another impromptu meeting of bloggers on the bridge. This is what separates Citi from Shea, and many other parks. It's a "walking park." It's conducive to socializing, and that makes it special. I had the pleasure of seeing Coop and Ed, Ed M. from "Real Dirty Mets Blog", Mets Police, and Terel from "On the Black". And I'll say it again, the park looks fabulous.

Now let's move to the game. Here's one reason we feel hopeful. Duda belted 2 HRs, DW added one, and R.A. was effective, if not stellar. The bullpen, one of my two main concerns with the team going in (the other is team D), was spot on once again. As I wrote after Thursday's game, Francisco looks good. He pumped a 94 mph past Diaz (noted Santana killer) to end the game. And here we have another reason for hope. Seeing Francisco throw well is like a gift from above, particularly after his sub-par spring. Today they try for the sweep with newly enriched Jon Niese on the hill. Is there a Met fan alive who would not relish sweeping the Braves, even in April?

Happy Easter! It's a time of hope. This year, that hope extends to Citi Field.